Muncie’s unemployment rate in January was 8 percent, up from 6.7 percent in December, according to figures released last week by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

The state said that 4,367 people were listed as unemployed in January compared to 3,605 in December. The Muncie metropolitan area has a workforce of about 54,000.

The new rate actually tops the 7.5 rate from a year earlier but is, at least, lower than the 12 percent rate reached at the depths of the national recession.

Delaware County ranked 18th out of Indiana’s 92 counties for its unemployment rate. Vermillion County topped the state with a rate of 9.7 percent, while Hamilton County had a rate of 4.6 percent, which is considered by some economists to be close to full employment.

In East Central Indiana, Blacford County saw its rate increase to 8.4 percent from 6.8 percent; Henry County to 7.8 from 6.5; Jay County to 6.6 from 5.6; and Randolph County to 7.4 from 6.2.

Indiana’s unemployment rate in January was 6 percent, up a tenth of a percent.

The state said that Indiana’s total private sector employment number of more than 2.5 million is only 21,000 jobs below the all-time peak of unemployment in March 2000.

Indiana has the highest concentration of private sector manufacturing jobs in the United States, and added 1,500 in that sector in January.

We won’t have long to wait to see an updated idea of the local jobless picture. The state is scheduled to release unemployment figures for February next week.

Contact Keith Roysdon at 765-213-5828 and follow him on Facebook and Twitter